slim Flashcards
Slim is God-like / The ideal man
“His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyone thought”
How does Steinbeck use slim to attack the status quo of 1930’s America?
How does Slim contrast the greed of the capitalits as an idealised American cowboy?
Slim is compassionate and moral (possitive traits) yet Curley (who is depicted negitavely)
Slims power seems effortless in contrast to Curley who needs to wear “high-heeled boots” to assert their dominance
The economic power of Curley and his father is ARTIFICIAL
words used to describe slim that suggest that he is a natural born leader
“majesty”
“royalty”
“master”
“prince”
-connotations of REGALITY - sense of power / authority
Slim is respected
“all talk stopped when he spoke. For Slim’s opinions were law”
How does Slim contrast Candy?
In 1930s’ America, your worth was determined by how useful you are to make profit.
Slim is powerful
“Carlson stepped back to let Slim percede him”
Slim is PERCEPTIVE
“I think you got your han’ caught in a machine. If you don’t tell nobody what happend, we ain’t going to”
-Slim handles the situation and asserts authority over Curley by using his understanding that Curley’s reputation is important to him against him
Slim is fortunate
a permanent ranch worker in an ITINERANT setting
Slim is PRAGMATIC
pragmatic - sensible / realistic / practical
“I drowned four of ‘em right off”
- He knows that the mother won’t be able to feed that many
-‘the greater good’ - nonchalant due to the brutal world that he lives in
Slim is the decision maker / head
“Candy looked a long time at Slim to try to find some reversal. And Slim gave him none”
- Slims response seals the sheepdog’s fate
-he gave the nod
-Candy appeals to Slim as the final authority
Slim is empathetic
“An s’pose they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain’t no good, George.”
-Slim objectivley considers the alternatives for lennie
-mental institutions in the 1930’s treated their patients like animals; they were experiments and not seen as human beings
Kind to the weakest members of the ranch
“Hi, Good-lookin”
“Oh! Hello Crooks”
“Lennie ain’t mean”
Slim is their to comfort characters after death
How is slim He’s the novellas moral centre?
“Come on, George. Mean’ you’ll go in and get a drink”
Slim is present at every crucial juncture in the story. In each case, there is violence or the threat of it. Each time Slim helps make the assessment to do what is merciful or what is right.
He’s the novellas moral centre; we look to him to help determine the morality of George’s actions
Slim feels for Candy
“Take a shovel”
- Don’t let Candy see his dead dog
